Long Before I Tell You

I am a follower of Jesus.

Don’t assume you understand

what that means.

It saddens me that

you probably don’t know at all.

Even more heartbreaking,

I know you just got a picture

in your mind that looks very different

from what a follow of Jesus is.

There are far too many people

that you’ve met,

and heard, and seen,

who say they are Christian,

but don’t follow his way.

“Feed the hungry,” Jesus says.

     “Get them off welfare,” they reply.

“Give your money to the poor,” he tells the rich young man

     “Well, he didn’t mean me,” they explain away

“Turn the other cheek, and love your enemies” he teaches

     “I’ll get even,” they respond at work,

     and “torture the bastards”

     they say of ‘enemy combatants’

“Invite the stranger in,” Christ requires of us,

     but their reply is, “What part of illegal don’t you understand?”

“Render unto Caesar,” he spoke,

     “He’s not my president, I hate him,” they proudly proclaim.

“I don’t condemn you,” he told the woman,

     “You’re going to burn in Hell!” their sign says.

He says that his followers

will be known by their love,

but these ones have no compassion

and forgiveness isn’t there

even for others who they claim to be their brothers.

He tells them, “follow me” and to leave

the things of this world behind,

but they bring an American flag and

their political party too,

as if the Kingdom of God

is split into two.

 “He’s my Lord, my very brother

as I’m a child of God,” they declare

while forgetting his words, “My brothers are those

who hear God's word

and put it into practice.”

Jesus gave love and compassion

to the hurting and lost

and he gave nothing but contempt and rebuke

to pompous religious fools

who professed to follow God,

but crushed others with their pride

and judgment and deceit.

What of those today who claim him as their own

but condemn others and live as hypocrites.

I don’t know how they mixed up the messages,

the words are right there

in millions of copied pages.

They don’t know his words

and don’t do his works,

but unfortunately,

arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand

just as the songwriter said.

Why are the worst examples always the loudest ones?

I’m sorry that those are the ones you see on the news,

the ones who preach at you at work,

the ones who condemn you for your sins

while conveniently ignoring their own.

Please know, there are others,

many more than you realize:

the quiet ones who listen,

the faithful who follow,

the busy ones who act,

the selfless ones who serve,

the ones who take his word seriously,

and do his works generously,

who live justly,

and who love mercy,

who walk humbly with their Lord.

Watch for them, they are there,

and ignore the ones who talk

but don’t bother to walk.

Don’t assume that you know what a Christian is

because you’ve seen those others.

A person can claim anything they want,

but you can see right through.

Jesus said you’ll know a person by their fruit

just as you can tell a tree by what it bears;

if their fruit is condescension,

self-righteous judging and rage,

they aren’t bearing the truth

and don’t know his message,

but if their fruit is love and joy and peace,

patience, kindness, and goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control -

well, that’s the right kind of tree

and a message you can believe.

Judge his message by

his followers who really live out their faith,

who serve you and not hurt you

who love you and not hate you

who tell you truth gently and not hate-filled rhetoric

who earn the right to be heard and do not demand it

who are selfless and not selfish

who are like Jesus

and not like those others you've seen.

I am a follower of Jesus,

and I hope you can see him in my life

long before I tell you

I am a follower of him.

Pride and Prejudice

I am a racist and very prejudiced; I hate people who are different from me.  At least, that’s what the writer of a recent email accused me of.  He was kind about it, suggesting it in an oblique way, couching it in the nicest terms possible; but it sure didn’t feel very nice.  I was so hurt and angry, that I had to kick in my personal safety rule about email.  Never respond by email when you are mad.  It actually took me four attempts at re-writing my response, in order to calm down and be a peacemaker instead of firing back an accusatory and sarcastic response in the same character as his original email.

The story behind it is very long, but the short version is that we disagreed on how to help the homeless.  Our church and several other churches, charities, and ministries were asked by the Phoenix Police to assist them by feeding the homeless at a different location than the city park.  The location is a short walk away from the park, has a gymnasium and kitchen and helps resolve issues of the neighborhood families who would like to take their kids to the park without having to see people defecating near their picnic (actual event) or having pedophiles preying on their kids (two actual events).  The homeless are still allowed to use the park, they just cannot camp there and the many groups who feed them are asked to move to this ministry other location that is a mile away.  We agreed to work with the police and the neighborhoods, this other group did not.  We are still feeding the homeless and, what’s more, helping some to get off the street, into housing, and back to work (4 in the last month).  Even cooler, we are able to get dozens of ministries and charities to work together, pooling our resources and thus doing more than any one of us could alone.

I offered to meet with the fellow who emailed me and talk.  I offered to listen and provide answers if he needed.  I thought that perhaps he misunderstood.  He wasn’t interested in talking with someone he doesn’t agree with.  He missed the irony of his own email, as much of his problem was based on his own prejudiced assumptions about me that he never bothered to clarify.

I have a friend on Facebook who likes to spout strong opinions on political issues.  (actually, I have several like that).  This one, in particular, regularly reposted half-truths about the opposing party, internet rumors, and false statistics to back up his point.  I used to post responses to his comments on a regular basis, asking questions, positing a different point-of-view, or posting links to Snopes.com and factcheck.org when he posted things that were internet hoaxes, or I would post links to surveys which might dispute or clarify what he is saying.  He privately messaged me and asked me to no longer do this because he didn’t appreciate how I made him look bad.  I think that I have to give him some props for being intellectually honest about his intellectual dishonesty. 

In both of these cases, the issue at hand was pride.  Neither one of them could conceive that there might be another way, therefore, the problem was me – not them.

I have a friend who is transgender.  We correspond on social media and meet for coffee every couple of months to talk.  I try to listen and understand.  I have to be completely honest here – I don’t really understand.  I have no frame of reference on the struggle; it’s not mine.  Because I have known him longer than her, pronouns can be a struggle.  But, I listen.  I ask questions.  I seek understanding.

I have friends who are far-right conservatives.  I don’t agree with them on many issues, most especially immigration, government regulation, and the way we treat this planet.  I believe they’ve got some things right, especially that we need to respect and protect small businesses, those ‘rich’ people who provide most of the jobs in the U.S.  Even though we disagree, I love discussions with them, because I can learn something, and hopefully they can too.

I have friends who are far-left liberals.  I don’t agree with them on many issues, most especially the idea that it’s OK to steal from someone who has more than you do, that bigger government is the solution to all our problems, or that some groups of people still require special rights that others don’t receive. I do believe they get it right when they suggests that we need to protect our lands from pollution and when they want to help those in need.  Even though we disagree on some things, I love discussions with them too. 

I am an unabashed Christian.  I believe that Christ offers us the only hope of salvation in this world.  With that said, I have friends who are Jewish, friends who are Buddhist, friends who are atheist, and some friends who just don’t know.  Religious discussions are some of my favorite, because there are so many ideas to discuss.

None of these conversations are comfortable.  Some, in fact, get down-right uncomfortable.  Years ago, I read that our brain views attacks on our ideas by releasing the same hormones that a physical attack on our bodies causes.  We go into a similar fight or flight mode from ideas, just as we would if a guy in a hockey mask was chasing us with a chainsaw.  It’s no wonder things get uncomfortable, but who promised a life of comfort?  When the only point of view you can see is your own, it’s like placing a mirror between you and other people.  They are there, but you no longer can see them.

I am not a fence-sitter when it comes to ideas.  I have opinions, and they have generally been shaped through much thought.  I’m not always right on everthing, but hey, I’m not always wrong either.  I believe the Socratic idea that the unexamined life is not worth living.  Thus, some of my opinions have changed over years, often as a result of a healthy discussion.  Politically, I have been a registered democrat, a registered republican, and now a registered independent.  Spiritually, I have been an anti-Christian agnostic and now am a Christian pastor.  Live and learn.  Part of this growth has come from people challenging my ideas.

We have to have people who disagree with us in order to become whole people ourselves.

We need opposing ideas to keep healthy points of view. 

We must recognize that few things are truly black and white and truth is usually found somewhere in the grey middle ground.

Unfortunately, these things are harder and harder to get.  Social media, email, and other technology has made it possible to surround ourselves with homogenous points-of-view.  Facebook and Google both shift their search results and advertising based on things you have commented on, people you are connected to, and things you have previously searched for.  This can be a wonderful help when you are using the internet as it makes it faster and easier to find things that interest you. 

But, it is also a bad thing as it begins to sift out any ideas that disagree with you.  If you regularly post from the Huffington Post, you will no longer see any results, events, or advertising that suggests Republican ideas.  If you regularly disagree with President Obama, you will stop seeing any information about Democratic themes.  As a Christian, these sites filter out anything that might challenge my beliefs.  For some of people, that may sound like a good thing.  Unfortunately, causes increased partisanship and distills people to extemism.  We demonize other points of view to the point that we no longer see them as people, but as the enemy.  Just read the comments on any blog post related to political or religious ideas.  Most of those commentors no longer see the other side as humans, just as a problem to be resolved.

Just as a your average mutt of a dog is generally less susceptible to genetic diseases than a purebred, the distillation of ideas makes us unhealthy as a people and more susceptible to bad ideas and to violent disagreements, up to and including civil war.

We need people who think, believe, and look different from us.  We must share ideas, discuss concepts, and seek to bridge our divisions.  We must let down our walls of pride and separatism.  We must allow ourselves to ask the question, “What if I am wrong?”  Maybe, just maybe, the other person can help you grow while you, at the same time, challenge them to growth.  The simple truth is that we aren't always going to agree, and that is a good thing.  But we must find a way to listen to each other, to take the best ideas, and to give a little and get a little.

Let me just offer a caveat.  I once was arranging to meet an old friend who I hadn’t seen in two decades.  He noticed that I was a pastor and said that he wasn’t interested in having someone shove their religious ideas down his throat because he is open-minded and believes x, y, and z.  There was a certain irony to his statement, as well as an implied insult, but I replied to him saying, “Open-minded does not mean empty-minded.”  I was just hoping to catch up with an old friend; I wasn’t bringing a proselytizing agenda.  I did tell him, that he was welcome to leave religious discussion completely off the table, but if he wanted to talk about it, then I would be more than willing to meet challenge with challenge.  When you have a discussion with someone who is challenging your ideas, it is perfectly acceptable to politely challenge them back. 

Let’s do this thing.  If you have read this far, take this dare yourself.  Seek out someone you would normally disagree with.  Take them out for coffee and listen.  Don’t go in with a bad attitude, but a welcoming one.  Consider what truth they might have in their ideas.  Open your mind and think the issues through from their point-of-view.  Consider how to build bridges, and offer serious but polite challenges back at them.  In the end, you may still hold to a set of principles, but you might just find that your hard-line ideas are tempered by the recognition that the side has a valid point or two and that the other person is just that, a person.

Humanity would be much healthier if we could lose a lot of our pride.  We might just find that we change our prejudices.

P.S. – This is a good time to renew my ongoing offer.  If you want to have a discussion on an issue, if you have questions about my beliefs (or your beliefs for that matter), if you just want to share your story, then I invite you to join me for a cup of coffee and conversation.  Just click the Free Cup of Coffee link on the right side of the page and I’ll be glad to meet you somewhere in the valley of the sun (sorry if you are out of state, but you gotta meet me in the vicinity of Phoenix, AZ).  I’ll even buy the first cup.

Translations

It’s not polite to talk about religion or politics.  You might offend someone.

Poppycock!

I don’t believe you can actually understand someone unless you discuss ideas and beliefs. 

I love discussion.  I enjoy bandying about ideas and considering the merits of various systems of thought.  Philosophy is fun.  Theology is entertaining.  Politics are engaging.   We don’t have to be rude; discussion can be gracious while still challenging.

OK.  I’ve probably already lost you.   “What a weirdo,” you are thinking. 

You just might be right.

Because I grew up without religion, I was an agnostic through high school and college.  I have a lot of respect for someone who admits they don’t know, and even more for the person who doesn’t give up at that point, but keeps on searching.  I have significantly less respect for someone who holds a belief system that they’ve never put any real thought into and won’t even discuss.  This goes for Christians too.  I have met many who grew up with Christianity but have never considered it deeply and have never put any thought into their own beliefs.   I truly believe that an unexamined life is not worth living and an untested faith is probably a weak one.  Truth can stand up to questions and it is OK to admit you don’t have all the answers.

Over the years, speaking with people about religion, I’ve noticed that there are some Conversation-Killers that people use when they don’t want to talk about the subject or, as is often the case, they want to talk about their ideas but don’t want any conflicting ideas.  These Conversation-Killers are short statements that are flippantly tossed out by the person in hopes that they’ll sound deep and intellectual without actually having to engage in any real dialogue.  Conversation-Killer statements sound like one thing, but they actually mean something else. 

I have taken the time to provide translate some of the most common that I have run into and, in some cases, actually said myself in the past (sigh).  Please know that some of this is tongue-in-cheek, but there are also deeper truths behind each of them.  My intention is not to be deliberately mocking if you say these things, but to challenge you to real thought and deeper discussion. 

TRANSLATIONS – When someone says the following statement, here is what they are really saying:

“I’m not religious, but I’m a spiritual person.”   Translation:  I want to feel like I am religious without ever actually sacrificing or committing to anything specific.

“I don’t believe in organized religion.”   Translation: I don’t want to wake up early on Sunday or actually have to connect with other people who might have questions that I can’t answer or might challenge me to growth.

“I believe all religions lead to heaven.”   Translation:  I don’t really know anything about the various religions, I’m just trying not to offend anyone.

“I don’t believe in two thousand year old superstitions.”   Translation: I believe in my own set of modern superstitions.

“I’m too rational for religion.”   Translation:  I’m so caught up in my own superior beliefs and personal egotism that I can’t conceive of anything I haven’t personally experienced.

“You can’t prove God scientifically.”   Translation: I don’t really understand how the scientific process works and so mistakenly believe that most things in the world are scientifically verifiable.

“There is no evidence that Jesus ever existed.”   Translation: I’ve never looked at the evidence, and I don’t understand how the evidentiary process works or how we know about historical figures.  Therefore, I can just choose who I choose to believe existed and who didn’t based on my comfort level.

“Religion is something that weak people need to get through life, but not me.”  Translation: I have my own unprovable rationalizations for things I can’t explain and that gets me through my weak times and don’t want to think too hard about it. 

“Religion is the cause of everything that is wrong in the world.” 
Translation:  Hey, I can explain away the shortcomings of mankind by blaming everything on human belief systems.  Wait a minute…That’s a belief system too.  Oh crap.

“I’m an atheist.”  Translation:  A religious person or people (probably Christian) hurt me, so I choose to accuse others of having unprovable belief systems while I stand firm on my own unprovable, belief system*.  I probably still live my life with mostly Judeo-Christian values, but don’t believe in God (except for that niggling feeling in the back of my brain).   *yes Atheism is a belief system.

“I just think love is the answer.”  Translation: I like touchy –feely emotional explanations that sound cool but require nothing from me personally.

“All religions say the same things.  It’s all about the Golden Rule.”  Translation:  I have never really read anything from the various religions and don’t know what the word ‘contradiction’ means. 

“Religion is society’s way of controlling people.”  Translation:  I don’t want someone or some book to suggest that I’m not already a perfect person and might need to change or grow.

“I believe that your religion is true for you and mine is true for me.”  Translation:  Contradiction, what’s a contradiction?  If everyone is right, then no one is wrong and nobody has to feel bad.  I just don’t want to consider that I might be wrong and don’t want to hurt you by suggesting that you might be wrong.  Except, I just did suggest that you are wrong.

“Christians are narrow-minded and judgmental.”  Translation: I am narrow-minded and judgmental because I can’t even consider the possibility that someone else might be right.  I also am unable to see the ironic narrow-minded judgment in my own statement.

“I prefer to be open-minded.”   Translation: I prefer to be empty-minded and can’t compare and analyze ideas that might require me to reject something.  If I actually thought about it, I might have to commit to something and that might be difficult.

“Christians are intolerant.”  Translation: I’m intolerant and can’t handle ideas that conflict with mine.

“There are too many religions in the world to know if one is right.”   Translation: Thinking is hard for me and I just don’t want to do it. 

OK, that was probably offensive for some people and I’ll probably get a few nasty messages about what Christians really mean.  The funny thing is, I’ll probably agree to some extent because, as I said earlier, I’ve met lots of people who grew up in church and have never really considered their beliefs on a deeper level.  I don't like bumper-sticker answers from Christians either, such as "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" or "You just have to believe."  These are Conversation-Killers too. 

If someone is offended by an idea that differs from theirs that is politely shared, that is their problem.  No need to be a jerk to them, but let's be honest here: they aren't alone in this world.  This world has a rich tapestry of ideas, good and bad, and you just can't pretend that you live in a bubble where no one else's values, morals, ideas, or beliefs can touch you.  If you offend someone by polite sharing of an idea, that's their problem.  If you offend them by being an overbearing jerk about it, that's your problem.

Really, I just want to encourage you to discuss ideas.  Religion and politics are perfectly acceptable conversation topics, just keep it on a conversational level.  I think that is what scares most people, that the conversation will turn unfriendly.  I’ll be honest, there are some people that I don’t bother discussing these topics with, because they just can’t handle it without getting irrational and angry.  But, if you can handle it, I really want to know your story.  But don’t be surprised if I have questions for you.  I want to understand what you believe and why.  I also want you to understand what I believe and why.  This ultimately brings us closer to understanding each other.  Besides, discussing the weather is dull.

So, go ahead, ask me some questions.  I’ve got a few for you. 

Let’s talk.

P.S. – I’ve never actually used the word ‘Poppycock’ in conversation, but it’s kind of a fun word.   

Looking for a Sign

Feed the hungry. Or else.

That is the short version of Jesus’ message in Matthew 25:31-44. He also mentions giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and nursing the sick, inviting in the stranger, and visiting the prisoner. He makes no bones about the threat of punishment to his followers who do not do these things.

So, what does that look like in our world?

A close friend of mine, Amber, and a few of her buddies were planning to go on a mission trip to help the poor. The plans fell through and left them with about $1400 in cash raised and some time on their hands. They talked about helping out a local ministry such as a food bank or homeless shelter. They also discussed visiting other places such as the Indian reservation or Mexico. In the end, they decided to put the money and their time directly to work by buying food and taking it to the homeless in local parks.

There is a large park downtown where many homeless sleep, so they chose to go down there. They setup a small canopy and started handing out sandwiches. Park personnel immediately came over and told them they weren’t allowed to feed the homeless in the park and made them leave.

I visited the park this morning with Amber to find out more. We were looking for a sign that had rules to see if there was a statute posted, preventing them from feeding the homeless. We found a sign with park rules and regulations. No loud music, pick up your pet poop, and don't play golf, but no mention of feeding the homeless, so we flagged down a park maintenance truck and met Terry. He told us there was no official regulation or statute, but it was park policy because of the mess that the homeless leave. He then went on to share that he has tried to help the homeless in the past, including putting some up in a rental property he owns, all to no avail. “Most of these people don’t want real help and they don’t want the Lord, they just want a hand out,” Terry told us. He did direct us to a local church abutting the park that fed the homeless on their property. We thanked Terry and went on our way.

As we walked across the park, we saw a group of people wearing red t-shirts pulling rolling coolers, handing out water bottles and lunch sacks to the homeless. I flagged them down and talked with Brian, a volunteer from a church in Anthem (about an hour or so North of Central Phoenix). Brian said his group had been feeding the homeless there every Monday for several years. They have been kicked out several times, but each time address the complaint and come back. First they were told that too many people were gathering and needed a park permit, so they went and passed the word that they would walk through the park pass out food and water without gathering everyone in one place. Then they were told that they had to have food handlers’ cards and a restaurant license, so they began using prepackaged food such as Vienna sausages and bagged chips. He said, “We do get hassled, but always try to be respectful and polite while doing our service.”

Amber and I thanked Brian and continued on to Grace Lutheran Church where we met Evelyn. She and a group of women have been feeding lunch to the homeless every weekday for over a decade. She shared that she has found mental illness to be a huge issue. “These are the people who have slipped through the cracks,” she said, “No one wants them and there aren’t enough facilities or beds for all the ones who need real mental health assistance.” She also said that considering life circumstances, "there but for the grace of God go we."

Like many issues, homelessness is a problem that is very complex and is not easily solved by sound-bite answers and simplistic solutions. It's easy to say, "Get a Job." It's easy to call them bums and derelicts, but it's much harder to realize that life circumstance could leave any one of us there, just as Evelyn pointed out.

Is it better to give money to organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul or the Phoenix Rescue Mission who provide food, but also job training, life skills, and other assistance in getting out of a bad situation? Possibly, but due to space limitations and distance to their location, they can’t help every homeless person in Phoenix.

Is it good to hand out food and water in the parks? This provides temporary assistance and possibly keeps people away from the shelters that might help them. But, it does help someone who is distress at this very moment.

Thank you to Amber Steven, Laura, and Kaylee for being willing to get out there and do God's work instead of just sitting in pews and saying, "someone should do something about that. Thank you also to Terry from the park, Brian from Anthem, and Evelyn from Grace Lutheran for sharing on this issue.

A final observation: Terry, Brian, and Evelyn all had one thing in common. When I approached them on asking about feeding the homeless, their response was immediately defensive as if they had been burned before regarding this issue. It wasn’t until they realized that I didn’t have an agenda to push on them that they calmed down and shared openly.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this: Jesus calls his followers to feed the hungry, help widows and orphans, clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty, and nurse the sick.

So that is what I must do.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

¿Puede llevar zapatos de una otra persona?

Para mis Hermanos Hispanos,

(ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS)

Soy un Estadounidense y vivo en Arizona. He estudiado español más que doce años y yo soy un pastor de una Iglesia Cristiano. Soy también Caucásico con raíces alemanas si que importa. Comprendo toda la ira y frustracion en SB1070 y las leyes que han sido entrados los últimos años. Yo no apoyo muchas de estas leyes y yo no concuerdo con Russell Pierce en la mayoría de las cosas. En mi opinion, yo creo que el es una racista y yo pienso que el esconde su racismo detrás de la ley.*

Pero, esto debe ser dicho.

Si estas honesto, entonces sabes que el problema de inmigración ilegal es un problema de derechos humanos. La esclavitud, el robo, la violación de mujeres, las drogas, la violencia, el asesinato, y el riesgo de la muerte en el desierto es implicado todo aquí. Si tu no quieres las leyes que han sido pasadas contra inmigración ilegal, entonces debes provear respuestas a estos problemas.

No no es suficiente para acusar todos los Arizonans del racismo si no puedes resolver o no resolverá estos asuntos.

¿Dónde se paras en los derechos humanos de la familia que se muere de sed en el desierto?

¿Qué respuestas das a la chica adolescente violada por un coyote cruzando la frontera?

¿Qué dices al hombre que es forzado a trabajar como un esclavo aquí en Estados Unidos porque su esposa es una rehén?

Los derechos humanos están en los dos lados de este asunto.

Este asunto es más grande que construyendo una pared en la frontera o un programa de trabajadorer braceros.

Este asunto es más grande que republicanos o demócratas.

Este asunto es más grande que respuestas sencillas y cantar esloganes.

Este asunto es más grande que piel café o blanca.

Tenemos que caminar en cada otros zapatos y trabajar conjuntos para entender.

Derechos humanos pertenecen a todos.

Somos todos ninos de Dios.

¿Qué harás para hacer paz?

*Nota: No creo que todas que apoyan SB1070 y leyes similares son racistas y creo es incorrecto para acusarlos todos.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Can you wear someone else's shoes?

To my Hispanic Brothers,

I am a United States citizen and I live in Arizona. I have studied Spanish for more than 12 years and I am a pastor of a Christian Church. I am also white with German roots if that matters. I understand all of the anger and frustration about SB1070 and the laws that have been passed these last years. I don’t support many of thes laws and I don’t agree with Russell Pierce about most things. In my opinion, I believe that he is a racist and that he hides his racism behind the law.*

But, this must be said,

If you are honest, then you know that the problem of illegal immigration is a problem of human rights. Slavery, robbery, rape, drugs, violence, murder, and the risk of death in the desert is involved in all of this. If you don’t want the laws that have been passed against illegal immigration, then you must provide an answer to these problems.

It is not enough to accuse all Arizonans of racism if you cannot solve or will not solve these issues.

Where do you stand on the human rights of the family that dies of thirst in the desert?

What answer do you give to the young girl raped by a coyote when crossing the border?

What do you say to the man who is forced to work as a slave here in the U.S. because his wife is held hostage?

Human Rights are on both sides of this issue.

This issue is bigger than building a wall on the border or a guest worker program.

This issue is bigger than republicans or democrats.

This issue is bigger than simple answers or chanted slogans.

This issue is bigger than brown or white skin.

We have to walk in each other’s shoes and work to understand each other.

Human rights belong to everyone.

We are all God’s children.

What will you do to make peace?

* Note: I don’t believe that everyone who supports SB1070 and similar laws are racist and I believe it is wrong to accuse everyone of this.